Looking through all the midsize SUVs available today can leave you confused, amazed and nervous. There are so many options including 3-row vehicles with 7 seats or 2-row vehicles with 5 seats. Let’s start with the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe, a three-row model, and the 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, a two-row SUV. The Santa Fe is slightly larger than the Atlas Cross Sport to accommodate the additional seating.
Let’s see what these two SUVs have to offer.
2024 Hyundai Santa Fe
It’s a whole new world for the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe with its boxy new design. The new model is longer, taller and wider than its predecessor, allowing for a larger cabin.
The complete interior redesign now features three-row seats as standard, providing space for seven people. An exception is the Calligraphie trim level, which features captain’s chairs in the second row, reducing seating to just six passengers. The interior features the new curved panoramic display, which combines the digital instrument cluster and infotainment screen into one coherent display.
It is powered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with an output of 277 hp. A hybrid model and all-wheel drive (AWD) are available. Pricing starts at $35,345, including destination charge.
Hyundai Santa Fe highlights
Semi-autonomous: Hyundai’s Highway Driving Assist combines various technologies, including adaptive cruise control and lane centering, to make highway driving safer and easier. It’s available in two versions, including Highway Driving Assist 2 on Calligraphy models, which adds features like Lane Change Assist.
Charge it: The advanced Hyundai Pay system allows you to pay for parking or gas while remaining in the vehicle. It prevents you from revealing your credit card publicly and can also help you avoid card skimmers.
First Class Guarantee: Volkswagen has a pretty good warranty, but the Hyundai Santa Fe has the best warranty coverage in its class. It comes with a 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, giving the owner peace of mind.
Check out this week’s Fair purchase price or watch this Santa Fe models close to you.
2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport
The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport 2-row SUV takes the simple, clean look of its Atlas 3-row SUV sibling and gives it a more aggressive exterior with a smaller body.
Although slightly smaller, it retains most of its larger sibling’s other advantages, starting with the 269-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with available all-wheel drive. The new powertrain represents a significant advance over the previous model and helps keep pace with the competition.
Inside, the materials used have been significantly improved and a 12-inch infotainment touchscreen has been added. And although it has the sloping roofline typical of coupe-style SUVs, the cargo space and rear seats are still very generous. Pricing starts at $38,410, including destination charge.
Highlights of the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport
Security technology: The technical driver assistance functions of IQ.Drive increase the safety and comfort of the Atlas Cross Sport. It features automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, lane centering and more. It also received a 5-star crash rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Excellent sound: The new cabin essentially becomes a concert hall when you upgrade to the Harman Kardon premium audio system. This 400-watt system delivers stunning sound through 12 speakers throughout the vehicle.
Digital Cockpit Pro: This customizable 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster is standard on the Atlas Cross Sport and displays vehicle data, music information, navigation maps and more.
Check out this week’s Fair purchase price or watch this Atlas Cross Sport models close to you.
similarities
The Hyundai Santa Fe and Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport have powerful powertrains, impressive exterior design and plenty of safety and comfort technologies.
Diploma
With its two additional seats and powertrain options, the Hyundai Santa Fe is an impressive SUV, especially considering the new exterior design. However, the improved powertrain and impressive looks of the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport cannot be overlooked. It depends on how many available seats you want. Of course, you should definitely drive both vehicles to make sure you really like them.
| 2024 HYundai Santa Fe | 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport | |
| Starting price | $35,345 | $38,410 |
| Popular powertrains | ||
| engine | 2.5 liter turbo 4 cylinder | 2.0 liter turbo 4 cylinder |
| Horsepower | 277 hp at 5,800 rpm | 269 horsepower at 5,500 rpm |
| Torque | 311 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm | 273 lb-ft at 1,600 rpm |
| transmission | 8-speed automatic | 8-speed automatic |
| Fuel consumption | 20 city/29 highway/24 mpg combined | 20 city/27 highway/23 mpg combined |
| Also available | AWD/Hybrid | all wheel drive |
| Specifications | ||
| Basic guarantee | 5 years/60,000 miles | 4 years/50,000 miles |
| Powertrain warranty | 10 years/100,000 miles | 4 years/50,000 miles |
| NHTSA Total Safety | NO | 5 Stars |
| Maximum seating capacity | 7 | 5 |
| wheelbase | 110.8 inches | 117.3 inches |
| overall length | 190.2 inches | 195.6 inches |
| Width | 74.8 inches | 78.3 inches |
| Height | 67.7 inches | 68.1 inches |
| turning diameter | 37.9 feet | 40.0 feet |
| Front headroom | 41.1 inches | 39.4 inches |
| Headroom, 2nd row | 40.6 inches | 37.8 inches |
| Headroom, 3rd row | 37.7 inches | N/A |
| Front legroom | 44.4 inches | 41.7 inches |
| Legroom, 2nd row | 42.3 inches | 40.4 inches |
| Legroom, 3rd row | 30.0 inches | N/A |
| Shoulder room at the front | 59.5 inches | 61.5 inches |
| Shoulder room, 2nd row | 58.1 inches | 60.4 inches |
| Shoulder room, 3rd row | 53.5 inches | N/A |
| Freight volume | 14.6/40.5/79.6 cubic feet | N/A./40.3/77.8 cubic feet |